


this is love.

by Madame_Klancealot



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternate Universe - Police, Angst, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Heavy Angst, Hostage Situations, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Angst, M/M, Married Life, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:01:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24284803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madame_Klancealot/pseuds/Madame_Klancealot
Summary: Keith is the captain of his precinct in Vee-City and holds a small secret... he's married to the new head of the Blue Lion's mafia gang, Lance McClain.**There's an odd feeling in Keith's stomach, one he knows means nothing but that trouble is coming. Like the risk of losing his husband.
Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 155





	1. Chapter 1

Keith had a gut-feeling. 

And whenever he had one he knew only one thing. 

It wasn’t ever anything good. 

***************

His palm curled around his mug, the warmth the coffee produced seeping into him. He grabbed his newspaper that was laying spread out centerfold on his desk, taking a long sip of his morning drug. 

“Fuck,” he winced when his tongue touched the searing substance, his eyes scanning the paper’s middle section. 

It was another piece on the young mafia leader of the Blue Lions, Lance McClain. Instantly, Keith’s heart picked up an unseemly faster pace. Not that he wasn’t used to the papers writing center pieces about his husband; it was just that before his eyes would read and register the words printed in black ink, his heart would start doing the worrying for him; scared that something might have finally happened to Lance. That Keith had been right all along: that Lance was too young to lead a deadly mob in Vee-City. 

_ Lance McClain, 21, the young head of the notorious understreets of Vee-City has yet again been released after being taken into custody for a recent flagrant cocaine dealing… _

Keith flung the paper to his desk, falling into his chair and dragging a hand through his long hair as a long sigh slipped out of him. 

“Another one bites the dust?” he heard Pidge say next to him. 

She swivelled in her chair to face Keith. “Come on. One day you’ll really get him. It’s been what… 4 years since the two of you butt heads?” 

_ 4 years too long _ , Keith thought groaning into his mug as he tipped it up to swallow the rest of its contents in one big gulp. He exhaled pouring his mug with more coffee, “Yeah… 4 years. It’s almost like we’re purposely playing cat and mouse.” 

“The kid has too many allies… it’ll be hard throwing him in jail,” Pidge resonated. 

Nodding idly to her calculations, Keith couldn’t stop thinking about the bad feeling in his stomach. Could have been the God awful coffee at this place, but he knew it was something else. 

He waved his cell at Pidge. “Imma just… make a quick call.” 

As he dialed the secret number, he waited with the cell wedged between his neck and shoulder. “Come on.. pick up…” he muttered under his breath. 

“Hey handsome.” 

A relieved sigh broke out of Keith. “Thank God.” 

“Honey, what’s up? You guys got another lead on me or something?” 

“No,” Keith said, his heart going back to its normal pace. “I just..” 

He could feel Lance’s smirk on the other side of the line. “Does a wittle police captain miss his mafia boss?” Lance cooed at him. 

“Shut up,” Keith hissed quietly in the phone, his free hand ringed over it. “I was just..” he sighed. “I had an uneasy feeling, that’s all.” 

“Uneasy?” Lance questioned, “But you’re a cop, shouldn’t you always be having that feeling?” 

A hum vibrated between them. “Handsome? What’s going on? You hardly ever call me on the job… your words: no contact with each other on the job. If people find out-”

“I know,” Keith interjected roughly, taking a hard left and right with his head. 

No one nearby. The back alley was usually a great spot to take calls. Shiro was too busy answering his own calls in his office, Pidge and Hunk probably competing on who could hit the trash can first with their crumpled rapports. 

That reminded him. Lecture the two dodos and how to properly file reports, and that a trash bin didn’t count as a- 

“Babe?” 

Lance brought him up to speed. “Yeah.. sorry. My mind wanders, you know that.”

He could hear an easy sigh break out of Lance’s nose. “I do. Don’t worry about me. And don’t lecture me again on how to handle my job. I know I’m too young, blah blah blah- but I’ve been doing this since I was 17, babe. You know my Abuelo taught me the ropes since childhood. If there’s anyone equipped to lead the Blue Lions, it’s me.” 

That sent more uneasy shivers down Keith’s spine. “I know. But I’m allowed to worry. You are my husband after all.” 

“I am. I’ll see you tonight.” Lance said, “And thanks for having my back, always. I love you.” 

“Love you, too. Bye.” 

When he headed back inside, he was met with what he feared. “Do I have to tell you two dingbats that throwing rapports in the trash doesn’t count as proper filing?” 

Pidge and Hunk never took Keith serious enough. Sure, he was the oldest out of the trio, 28, but that didn’t mean he was supposed to be seen as their senior. Although, he was their captain. Something they also both knew very well. 

Hunk chuckled, “Lighten up, man. With Lance running free, you’ll have something to do again. Vee-City’s too quiet whenever he gets caught.” 

“That didn’t answer my previous question-” 

“Keith, these are old case rapports. They’re solved and we’re bored,” Pidge aimed another crumpled report at the trash bin, hitting it right in the middle. “Score!” She swiveled back to Keith standing in front of their desks, a hand resting on his hip. 

Being bored was a good thing. It meant that Lance was safe. Well, it didn’t mean that Vee-City was safe, but that gave him and his team work while he could rest assure that Lance’s head was still intact with the rest of his body. 

His hand dived into the trash bin, uncrumpling a case file Pidge threw. Lance’s face, bronze and beautiful flashed in the corner of the rapport. Keith had to hide his soft smile. He never knew he’d fall for the mouthy bastard. Their first meet was awful; a kid- a fucking teenager leading the late Emanuel’s reputational gang. Just sitting there with his long legs dangling over his throne, giving Keith that signature lilted smirk, glock hanging freely from his golden-ringed hand. 

How in the world did Keith find that attractive? He asked himself that question every day. But there certainly was more than meets the eye. 

As the memory of their first kiss played on repeat in his head, he landed back in his chair going through fresh cases on his computer. Later tonight he’d get to hold the cunning boss in his arms, kissing his sweet spot and whisper words of a maybe future in his ear. 

“Hey, Keith-” 

Hours had swept by when Shiro finally emerged from his office calling for him. “Yeah?” Keith drummed his desk with his fingers, prepared for a case to be run by him. 

Shiro eyed his brother, “There’s a video message for you…” He nodded to Keith’s computer. 

“Why was it sent to your computer if it’s addressed to me?” 

“ _ They _ hacked through the system, the file immediately goes through my server first. You’re gonna want to see this.” 

Shiro's expression was unreadable, but there was a hardness shining in those steel eyes. Almost as if he'd been betrayed, lied to. 

That uneasy feeling Keith felt earlier, it was back. Keith’s stomach pooled when he took the cursor and clicked on the video file Shiro sent him.  _ Please don’t be about Lance, please don’t be about Lance, please-  _

A window popped up on his screen, the video started playing revealing a man wearing a mask and holding the mouth of a Glock 19 against... Lance’s temple. 

“Holy shit, is that Lance McClain?” Pidge pointed out as she leaned in closer to the monitor. 

Hunk gasped next to Keith. Shiro was dead quiet. 

But all Keith could hear in that moment was the thunderous beat of his heart and the next words spoken from the video cause a shatter to his bones.

“I have your husband, Captain Kogane. You know what to do next.” 

Then the video went black. 


	2. Chapter 2

Fuck. 

Fuck.

FUCK.

He knew it. He should have told Lance to go home. Wait it out. This... whatever the fuck this fucking feeling he had been. 

Who would go that far as to kidnap a mafia boss? How the fuck did they succeed?

Lance had so many allies. He had two other families supporting him. Bodyguards. Cameras. Technology Keith had swiped from the evidence room that would ensure Lance’s fucking safety. 

This person. 

Keith didn’t have time to go through the video again before Shiro shouted behind him, “Husband?!” 

A hand tugged at his shoulder, ripping him to face his big brother. “What the fuck, Keith? You’re  _ married _ ?” Shiro’s spitting words catapulted him one by one. 

_ Fuck _ ! This wasn't important right now. Right now, Keith needed to save Lance. Save his husband. 

“Aren’t we forgetting the big picture here? Keith is married to none other than Lance McClain..” Hunk threw in, looking a tad incredulous, a single finger hardly raised. 

Shiro threw a hand at the big guy. “We’ll get to that,” he said calmly at Hunk, then inched close to Keith. 

In the next second, Shiro clutched Keith’s collar dragging him into his office.  _ Throwing _ was a better term. The door slammed shut, the shutters closed as well. 

“Were you ever going to tell me?” 

Keith wanted to throw up. There wasn’t time to apologize for lying, there were other,  _ more important _ , matters at stake. “I need to know who sent you that file,” his whole body was losing function. 

“Keith.” 

“No, you don’t understand. I need to know if you can find out who sent that file. I need to save him,” he pleaded to his brother, dread pushing him down. 

Something like recognition swiped past his brother’s features. 

Keith swallowed, his throat tight, heart jumping in fright. “Shiro,  _ please _ .” 

As if he could sense the fright in Keith’s expression, Shiro sighed leaning over his desk and finding the original file. “I can get Pidge to hack into the system and find the I.P. address. She’ll get it done in…” While his fingers tapped the keyboard, a mouse clicking; within the next minute-

“Got it,” Pidge opened Shiro’s door. 

She waved a document in her hand with numbers and letters printed on it, and a face. Recognition blinded Keith.  _ No _ . He knew exactly why Lance was taken. 

“Out of the way.” Keith barged into Shiro’s space, clicking into the web camera on his brother’s computer. 

Keith’s face took over his monitor. “Keith, what?” 

“Shh..” He held a finger up at his team. “You two need to get out.” 

Pidge handed him the document. “What are you planning?” 

It was too hard to smile any in form of reassurance. There was no reason to smile, not until Lance was back on safe grounds. “I’ll send you the file once it’s done. You send this to the address you located, got it?” 

“Keith, what’s going on?” Shiro asked. 

He never meant to fall in love with Lance. But he was glad he did. One day he’d tell his family and friends about them, but when that day would be beat him. In retrospect, he was hoping the issue never came to surface, that him and Lance could live this secret marriage out, until the days they both died. 

Except, as the secret was now out, someone might be dying earlier than they had anticipated. 

Once the door shut leaving Keith alone in his brother’s office, he switched off the lights, making sure the monitor was his only source of illumination. He took a deep breath, keeping his heart at bay. 

His eyes made a quick glance at the document, observing the photo in the top left corner. It wasn’t the man who Shiro or Pidge thought it was. It was a cover. 

The photo revealed a man already deceased, but his social security number was still active. Lance had shown Keith once before who had swiped these numbers as their own. 

Where the web camera was imbedded, a red light switched on. 

Keith put on his best cop face. He leaned his elbows on Shiro’s desk, moving closer to the camera, a sideways smile curling on his face. Never reveal that you’re scared. Never. Fright proved that you could lose. Keith couldn’t afford the loss of his husband. 

He drew in a deep breath, then started speaking, “You have my attention, Lotor.” 


	3. Chapter 3

“Did you send it?” Keith asked Pidge with a rigid voice. 

Everything around him was spinning. He barely had it in him to record the video. His insides were swirling, throat continuously clogged, swallowing down his continuous rising fright with each second that pounded by. 

Damnit. With a husband leading a fucking mob gang, he’d thought the kid would at least be able to take care of himself; and then winding up in something like- 

A familiar aroma snuck into his senses, calming him. “Why can’t we just barge into the location of the I.P. address?” Hunk handed him his mug. 

Keith took a long slug. “We can’t. I mean, only I can- _ should- _ show up. He’s after me after all, we can’t risk…” 

“Your  _ husband’s _ life?” Shiro interjected, still hot on the subject. It gained him that wanted wince from Keith. 

They had time to kill. Waiting for a response video, there wasn’t much else to do. If Lotor was after something, he wouldn't kill Lance on the spot, or sent that video. And Keith had a hunch at what -  _ whom _ \- Lotor was after. 

And knowing his husband, he’d never give up that information. Hence, bringing Keith into this. 

Keith waved his hand, gathering his team round. They were a small precinct. But the best in the area. Adam, Shiro’s husband, took the night shifts with his own team; Griffin, Kinkade, Risavi and Leifsdottir. 

He had an extra on the squad due to night shifts being quite… well, shifty. 

Evenings were the only time Keith could be with his husband, unless there was a deal Lance had to cut or people to… literally cut. It was how he was able to keep their marriage secret for so long. Keith slept out the evenings, or so what he told his brother. If there were social gatherings, Lance would stay at his other home and Keith would be social when needed, keeping up the lie. 

“How?” Shiro butt in. “I don’t get how you kept this charade up for…?”

“Two years,” Keith answered Shiro’s ghost question. 

Surprise washed over his big brother. “Two years? You’ve been married for  _ two- _ ”

“No. We’ve been married a year, give or take. We started dating two years into our first meeting… Lance…” Keith almost broke out into a sob the fright still wildly building up in him, “He easily got under my skin. But our meets kept on recurring since our first meeting, and he always wanted to deal with me than any of the other cops- said he could trust me, and that sort of… sent off a spark in me.” 

Hunk made a loud obvious sigh. “Sorry. It’s just that love really gets to me.” 

As much as Keith wanted to smile in that moment, nothing tugged at his lips. Something was flaying his heartstrings though. And it hurt. 

His face went grave. “Lance is easily the person I can trust my life with, but…” 

“You never thought he’d be able to get caught.” Pidge answered his ghost question now. 

“Yeah… something like that.” Keith shrugged, squaring his shoulders, the tension in his neck growing taut, “He gets caught all the time, but his cases are usually easy to wave away. Sure, he does…” His indigo eyes shot at his brother, “-murder people… but they’re  _ bad _ people. It’s almost like he’s doing our job for us. Like he’s the good-” 

“Don’t fucking say it, Keith,” Shiro warned. 

He got it, loud and clear. Lance wasn’t a good guy. He was a fucking mobster doing illegal things, for crying out loud. Things that could easily land him in prison for life. But putting him in jail would stir the pot badly, therefore Keith had to make sure he never was sentenced. 

Saving his husband’s ass had been vital ever since they got together. Keith enjoyed the friction it rubbed on him, even if his husband surely was good at attaining his promises not going beyond the grid. Not acting stupid even though a single cop had his side. Lance took the law seriously for his husband’s sake. Abided what laws that should be taken into accord. But if there were occurrences that affiliated with his house, and things needed to be taken care of, Keith would step aside without interference. And if things went nifty, he’d swoop in and do his own form of taking care of things. To help Lance. 

They were, in some sense, a team. Him and Lance. A darn good one, too. 

Good and evil side by side, keeping the streets clear of dirt. Dirt that was unwanted within Keith’s vicinity and Lance’s. They respected that, and their love grew larger because of that. 

His eyes shined on his brother. “I love him, Shiro. Sure, he’s an asshat… called you a grandpa.” Keith finally smiled. “But he’s a good leader.” 

“He’s a fucking criminal. If you told me you and him were… _ involved _ -”

“You’d ruin everything. Yeah. That’s why we kept it fucking secret!” 

Shiro narrowed his eyes at him, a fire blazing in his steel irises. “I want to protect this city, Keith. I know you should come first, but you’re old enough to take care of yourself. Fuck, you should have had better senses at the time. I still can’t grasp how the fuck you could fall for…  _ for him. _ ”

There was a coppery taste in his mouth. Pulling his teeth away from his inner cheek, Keith said, “It’s a long story. Too long to tell right now. But just know that love… it just trumps all. Even protecting the city.” He walked toward the wall with the whole precinct’s pictures, planting a hand by a picture of Adam. His neck craned to glare at his brother. 

“What if it were Adam?” 

Shiro hardened. “Don’t mix him up into this…” 

“I’m being serious. Imagine, Shiro. What if the roles were reversed? You were me four years ago, about to bust this fucking huge mob case, and you kick in the door, gun pointed at the new head of the Blue Lions, and then you see Adam… just casually sitting in his throne like this carefree teenager, that smile of his quirked up tauntingly, gun hung in his hand like a plaything and everything he spewed out of his mouth were… shockingly, words of wisdom. Wouldn’t you have felt something? A spark, anything?” 

Lance was just a kid the first time him and Keith laid eyes on each other. That exact scene Keith setup, that was their first meeting. Something did spark in him, even before Lance told him how much he trusted him. This young…  _ boy _ , handling these thugs like they were mere working ants in his kingdom. His mouth, those words, leaving Keith speechless and too convinced not to take him in. 

They needed Lance. Believable enough, he was the one running this city, keeping it as clean as it was. No dust, no trails. Run a finger along the streets and you’d end up with nothing. 

Deal for a deal. 

That first day, Lance had Keith under his thumb even before he kicked down the door. 

“Guys..” Pidge stole their attention, swinging the monitor, “There’s a new video.” 


	4. Chapter 4

Only an hour had passed since the first video. For Keith it felt like days had passed. Knowing Lance wasn’t safe had his hands itching to retrieve his own weapon and run to the address then cap every head keeping his husband captive. 

“We’re gonna save him, Keith. Don’t go busting heads quite yet.” Hunk calmed him. 

Which speaking of calm. “You’re taking this sudden info of me and Lance quite well. Well, compared to someone else…” He nodded his head at Shiro tapping his fingers on Pidge’s desk. 

Hunk shrugged. “I had a hunch that you were seeing someone... and given how often you and Lance met… I guess it would come to this in the end. Specially how much you love talking about him.” 

While Hunk snickered, Keith had to swallow down his shock. “I do not talk that much about him.” He threw a demonstrating hand out to the board, “I had to talk about him during our debriefings! I’m your captain- I…” 

“Dude. Even after the debriefings or at the pub, you’d be running your mouth off about how  _ Lance this _ , and  _ Lance that _ … and then there’s that twinkle in your eyes.” 

Warmth prickled his cheeks. “What twinkle…” He leered at his squad-mate. 

“You know… your eyes shine whenever you get to mention Lance. I guess, I dunno, it was obvious that you had a thing for him, and then this… which is really unfortunate, spills the beans for you. I just wasn’t fazed or surprised. I’m happy for you two, though. And I get why you had to keep it on the down low.” 

He comes in to snag a reassuring hug from Keith. “Thanks, big guy.” Keith clapped his back, “Tell that to  _ him _ ..” 

“He’s right, though. The city should be top priority… and you being his little brother, and Lance being this underground drug lord, well- doesn’t add up, does it?” 

“What, so you want me to allow him to forbid me this relationship?” Keith said low, peering past Hunk’s broad shoulder to spot his brother conversing with Pidge. 

They hadn’t opened the file yet. Pidge needed to run scans to make sure it wasn’t bugged. And Shiro. He had just decided to ignore Keith. 

Top priority right now had to be to save Lance. Even if there was bad happening in the city, Shiro had to accept that Keith needed his husband back. Not only because of that, but with Lance dead, the city would fall under. He had to know that. 

“Okay, it’s ready,” Pidge hollered from the other side of the office. 

Again, Keith’s heart drummed in his ears. If the video revealed Lance’s brains on the floor, he’d might as well take his car and slaughter everyone once he found them. He wouldn’t care about their lives, their purposes, roles in his gang. All he cared about was his husband’s life still being intact. 

Not saying a word, Pidge clicked the play button on the video. 

Lance was still tied to the chair, his mouth duct-taped; but his eyes showed nothing within being scared. Living almost your entire life in the world of the mob did that to you. But, it also meant he put too much trust in Keith saving his skin. 

The hooded man, Lotor he presumed though it could be one of his men, came back, walking slowly to Lance’s captive state. He took his glock, clicked away the safety and started gliding it coldly along Lance’s pristine face. Still not feigning any fright, all Lance did was follow the glock tracing his skin with his blue eyes. 

The voice of the hooded figure came out all distorted, “Well then, Keith. I see you understood why I captured your husband. It was easy to grab him after you called him earlier today. Poor boy..” He kept on stroking the glock along Lance’s cheek while clicking his tongue all pitiful, “-he never saw what hit him.” Then he took the butt of the gun and cocked Lance’s head, leaving him out cold in the chair. 

Close to the camera now, he spoke with that same distorted voice, “Now listen closely, Captain. I want the information I’m looking for… and if you don’t want me to torture it out of your precious hubby, then you and I are going to have a little meeting. The details will be sent to your phone at fifteen-hundred hours. If you want your husband back in one piece, you show up.  _ Alone _ . I see one hint at backup of your police friends, poor wittle boss-boy here… is bye-bye.” 

  
  


Then the video cut to black again. 


	5. Chapter 5

His head was spinning. The world around him significantly out of place. Once his eyes finally opened, everything became a blur. Images of his surroundings nothing but strokes of a paint brush, nothing really making sense. 

Pain was all that made sense at the moment. 

Something was blocking his speech. The tip of his tongue traced the taste of adhesive. Only incomprehensible murmurings escaped him, through his nostrils, as if he were humming. Humming for a chance to speak, a chance to cut a deal, any deal. One that didn’t revolve Lotor getting his way. Like harming Keith.

There was a reason Allura wanted out of the business. There was a reason why she fucked up and Lance landed the position as head and not her. Age didn’t matter. She was two years younger than him, but way smarter. At least, he thought she was smart. Until she fell in love with the wrong guy. 

Not that Lance was any smarter on that front, as well.

What was it with the McClain siblings and falling in love with danger? Forbidden love had to be  _ that _ tempting? 

God, he was so narrow minded. Taking that call from Keith. He wasn’t going to pin the blame on his husband, because he never called during work hours. So that call from him had to be important. An uneasy feeling, huh? He couldn’t have been more right. 

The second he ended the call, his brain was met with a pipe iron. And then he woke up in this chair, facing… 

“Are we awake now?” Lotor’s voice crawled into Lance’s ears. 

This two-faced, cocky, British prick. Whatever Lura saw in him, it wasn’t what Lance met with now. 

She fled the gang for a good reason. Keith gave her witness protection because she couldn’t be met with this guy ever again. He treated her like property, like the world created her only for him. 

One too many times Lance saw her come home with bruises on her face. It took forever to convince her to leave him, but she never conceded until Lotor finally threatened to throw a dagger to her chest, then threw it and missed. 

Lance could have assassinated him, but his dealings were vital for his house. It was all fucked up. But Lance needed Lotor. And Lotor, well, he didn’t need Lance. 

Cold steel touched again at his temple.  _ Again with the gun. _ This was getting old. Lance was too familiar with having a gun cocked to his temple. There had been other times he was taken captive, though all those other times he’d been caught on purpose. That was how he was able to infiltrate and gain secrets, kill off the names on his list. 

But this, this was different. It was a first in the four years he’d been anointed head of his house, after Abuelo’s disease finally took him. 

He murmured a humming noise again. Pain slashed the skin around his mouth when Lotor ripped the tape off. “Can’t we cut a different deal? Don’t drag Keith into this..” 

“Oh, but Lancey... I want to!” Lotor giggled like he was high on something. 

Having Keith dragged into this meant bad news. Lotor was for sure going to cap him the second he gave over the information. Sure, Keith was a brilliant cop, but he wasn’t cut out for this life. 

And he knew he loved Lance too much. 

Damn that guy being the one to kick down his door. Damn those alluring eyes stopping everything in Lance’s chest. And damn him being too cute whenever Lance felt like flirting with him. Guy was seven years older than him, but showed no secrecy to never have been flirted to before.

He loved it. Cooing seductive words in Keith’s ear, seeing his face flood red. Loved how Keith, every time their paths crossed, how he would try to lecture or complain about Lance being too young for this life. That he’d never be able to follow in his Abuelo’s footsteps, or, that he deserved better than this. 

That’s when his heart started beating for Keith. 

“Anything else, Lotor. Money? Drugs? Weapons? Illegal immigrants? I have it all. You say the word and it’s yours. Hell, you can have my men. The whole fucking house! The Blue Lions, I’ll surrender it all as long as you leave my husband out of this. This is between you and me.” 

Lotor twirled the trigger around his finger, humming at Lance’s propositions. He’d give up everything, this empire, his Abuelo built to keep his husband alive. Loyalty, shmoyalty. With Allura safe, their parents dead when he was 5, Abuela passing when he was 13… Keith had become his only family. 

The only family worth protecting. 

“Lotor...” Lance pleaded, “For the first time ever… I’m begging you. Leave Keith out of this.” 

He tried to blink back the burn in his eyes. If Lotor caught how much more vulnerable he could get, it would be used against him. And killing Keith would be all the more delightful to him. 

“You refuse to give me what I want, and I know how tolerable you are to torture tricks, so it’s no use playing with you…” His cell ringed. 

Lotor fished out his burner phone, waving it in Lance’s face. “Lookie, lookie… it’s hubby.” 

_ Lotor please _ , Lance mouthed but a finger raised to Lotor’s curled mouth. 

The phone went to speaker. Lance heard his husband’s voice. 

“I’m here.” 


	6. this is the end.

Everywhere around him was darkness. 

The two ends to the tunnel was pitch black, the lamp posts’ electricity cut, his only source of light from his phone once he pulled it away from his ear. 

Keith stared down at the glowing screen. His background was a chemical formula for oxytocin, a formula that created love. It was to be a reminder of his husband, because having his handsome face as a screensaver would be too risky. 

He made it clear on his whereabouts to Lotor. All he had to do now was wait. 

No backup. No indication of taking him out. No nothing. Just him and Lotor. And the information he wanted. 

Would Keith really betray Lance like this? 

If his life were at stake, then yes, he’d have to betray him.

His house needed him. The city. His husband, too, but Keith was willing to make sacrifices. 

More lights flooded the tunnel. A big, black van. Classic mobsters, they loved making an entrance with their big, black vans.. 

This was the first time in four years Keith had been roped into a mobbing deal. The first and last one being Lance’s welcoming. And speak of the devil. 

He heard the opening slide of the van door, catching a long fall of stark white hair contrasted with light-brown skin. Keith’s whole face went ashy when Lotor had his hand tugging around someone’s shoulder, dragging their body out of the van-

“Lance!” His heart went staccato. 

Still being classy, it was like they were doing a trade. Allura’s information, and he’d have Lance in his arms again. 

Lance’s hands were duct-taped, mouth too, his blue eyes flashed recognition once him and Keith’s gazes met. 

Keeping a calm and stoic demeanour, Keith kept to his feet waiting for Lotor to inch in. 

“You have the information?” Lotor giggled, trudging Lance brusquely close to him.

Keith sucked in a sharp breath, “Will you promise not to hurt Lance?” 

“You know...” Lotor drawled all of a sudden, waving the gun at Keith, “You two really had me for a while…” he flared a nasty grin. 

It was easy to tell he had them figured out. 

Fuck.

“Faking Aly’s death like that… it was genius, really. But both of yous seemed to have forgotten who my cousin is.” That nasty grin turned disgusting, an ear-splitting, skin-crawling giggle escaping him, “Yeah, sweet girl, Romelle. Bit of a pretentious potty mouth though…” 

Typical. Here it came, that classic villain speech. Keith had had enough of those already, but his ears remained opened. If it would save his husband he had to be on full alert. Find that opening, that chance. 

Lotor brought Lance’s face close to his, smiling that curt smile at him then back to Keith. “You see, Romelle, she never lasted that long… torturing her, well-” His eyes were almost black, the dark blue in his irises merging with his pupils. He was toying with Lance stroking his knuckles along his smooth caramel skin, but he feigned not a single ounce of fright. That was a mafia boss for you. Lance kept his bright blue eyes locked on Keith the whole time.

A dragging sigh broke out of Lotor, like he was reminiscing. “Her throat- you should have felt the satisfaction of my knife gliding so smoothly along her warm, pulsing skin. Mm, like cutting into butter.” His lips pressed against Lance’s ear, “You know the sensation, don’t you, boyo? Big boy, mafia boss. How many of my men haven’t you had the pleasure to slice and dice, huh?” His voice had grown low but enraged, his fingers gripping Lance’s jaw now, knuckles going white. 

“Enough. Lotor,” Keith said, calmly, while holding back a hitch. “You want the information or not?” 

Lotor smirked, releasing his grip on Lance, but keeping his gun finely placed to his temple. “You know I do.”

Being at arm’s reach to saving Lance and yet not have a single clear shot of the man before him, it pained Keith. He wanted to break down on the spot and surrender himself to Lotor. Negotiate a deal. A life for a life. 

The way Lance was looking at him, it was all he needed to know that he couldn’t give up that information of Allura’s whereabouts. They both knew the second Lotor had possession of her, she was a goner. Either in the form of becoming his prize, or ending her life by suicide of a life chosen against her will. She would never be able to escape him. 

But he knew he couldn’t do that to Lance. Lance may be stoic. He may be fierce. But Keith knew how much he loved him. And if he sacrificed himself for Lance, it wouldn’t take long for him to join him in the afterlife. 

Keith held his gun up in a surrendering stance, away from his other hand, to prove to Lotor he meant no threat. “Then lower the gun and I’ll tell you.” He nodded to the gun still resting cooly on Lance’s temple. No way would he remove it from his hand, but keeping it away from Lance was one way to ensure his safety. 

“Nah, I like keeping it here. Doesn’t your hubby look pretty with my gun to his head? Maybe prettier with his brains splattered on the wall?” Lotor smiled. 

He reeked of frenzy and bloodlust. The man did nothing but kill and kill and kill. Getting away with the murders every time. Being filthy rich had its perks; Keith had nothing on him. Only the information of Allura. 

He could cry.

_ Fuck.  _

Lotor could finally smell the fear protruding off of Keith, his smirk growing deeper, even more cunning. He lowered the gun, a pang of hope sparking Keith’s heart, but then he ripped the tape off Lance’s mouth and jammed the gun in it, a forced muffled whimper leaving his husband's throat.

He felt his nose flare, his jaw gritting until his teeth threatened to crack. There was only one thing necessary. Keith took his gun and placed its mouth against his own temple. Lance said nothing, only keeping that stare locked on his husband. 

Trust.

“You kill Lance, I promise my own brains will splatter and you’ll never find her.” 

Something revealed on Lotor’s features. Just barely, but Keith noticed it. 

The gun inside Lance’s mouth didn’t budge. 

Lotor smiled happily. “Well aren’t you a dirty cop.” 

“Do we have a deal? I tell you, and you give me Lance.” 

Thinking about the deal, Lotor had something else to say, “What’s to say the information you give me is fake?” 

“Then you can personally turn me into your torture toy,” Keith said with ease.

“Keith!” Lance screamed all muffled around the gun's mouth. 

Finally, Lance’s own stoic demeanor shattered. They shared a look. Hurt was covered all over those beautiful bronze features. Keith could see and feel how much Lance loved him. How far he’d go for him to keep him out of Lotor’s clutches. But right now he was the one taken captive, not Keith. He had the upper hand here. 

And he’d go those lengths to keep Lance safe and out of harm’s way. Harm’s way being Lotor. His own dealings as the head of the Blue Lions would have to suffice. 

“Well? Does that sound pliable?” Keith pressed with a light tone of finality. 

“And you promise once we make the trade that your brother... Chief Shirogane-” Lotor spat his brother’s name like a bad taste in his mouth, “-won’t jump out of the bushes with a swat team on me?” 

Calm as ever can be but a heartbeat roaring in his ears, Keith never took his eyes off Lotor, lifting his chin a hair. “I give you my word.” 

“Well, then,” Lotor resolved as if the deal was established. 

With a speedy flick of his eyes, Keith settled his gaze on his husband. Fright was still prominent on his features, his pupils dilated immensely creating a deep black hole in that ocean. Keith didn’t feign any form of scare for what was to happen next, all he did was keep his eyes locked on that ocean and blinked. 

Keith and Lance had a signal. They created it after Keith had been kidnapped once, Lance saving his skin before the rest of his precinct even got word of what had happened to him. 

It was a look. Just one look. Hard to explain, but when you formed a connection like the two of them, you just knew. 

And in that moment, they both knew. 

Small as ever, barely noticeable, Keith studied Lance, and in return it was a go. “Now, Lance!” Keith screamed. Lance whipped his head back so the gun’s mouth was airborne and in typical Lance fashion, he kneed Lotor in the balls. 

In that momentous second as Keith saw Lance run to him, he witnessed their whole relationship flash before his indigo eyes. Their first meeting, their first kiss when he pinned Lance up against a wall ready to cuff him, first time having sex in Lance’s Lexus, proposing to the boy with a worn out, lilted smile after beating down a gang of thugs together… more and more the significant moments of his life with Lance just kept on flashing by. 

One important moment shined brightly, brighter than any star dotted on a clear black sky. Their wedding day. Lance arranged it only for them to be present, except for Allura who ordained the ceremony as a thank you for keeping her safe from Lotor, faking her death to him. 

The way Lance smiled that day when they both said their “I do’s”, how his lips tasted that same night. Keith couldn’t think of a life without him. A life without Lance in it didn’t seem possible now. He was Keith, he was his other half-the half he never thought he was looking for and yet-as Lance’s feet lifted one after the other, his blue, blue eyes sparkling with a newfound fright, Keith lifted his weapon and aimed. 

And Lotor did the same. 

In the next second, all anyone could hear was the deafening crack of twin bullets sounding off in the dead of night. 


	7. this is fate. (epilogue)

The moment he left him, the taste of his lips became a distant memory, one he needed renewed. Like an ignition. A spark. Keith felt them. Two small tear drops streaking down his cheeks, tasting salt as they settled on the tip of his tongue. 

_Lance. Lance. Lance._

How a kid with such a big mouth, and was such a careless boss, had the audacity to- to be so… well, careless. Like thinking he always had dumb luck on his side. 

He never thought ahead. Never calculated consequences when winding up in tricky, sticky deals; always aloof and cool with serious situations. _Deathly_ serious situations. That boy. Granted, he was 21 and counting, but he still thought like a dumb kid at times.

But Keith loved him nonetheless. And always would love him despite all this that announced him as a feeble-minded mobster. 

“Baaabe, come back to bed,” Lance whined for him from their bed. 

He laid sprawled all over in it, his long limbs entangled with white covers. Looking like a latino angel- devilish personality, though. Beauty incarnate, the masterful, cunning boy named Lance McClain. 

Lance McClain Kogane, as he now rest assured all of Keith’s team knew. Sadly, Keith’s own surname, Keith Kogane McClain, would also only be known to his team. Still, it was nice to be able to have someone know about his secret little marriage. 

While buttoning his uniform, he couldn’t contain his smile feeling so lucky to have him in his life. Still alive after that horrendous, heart-jumping scene that was Lotor shooting for his life while Keith fired at his heartless chest. 

Truth be told, Keith didn’t think either of them would survive that night. He was prepared to die for Lance. Once the shot was made, he hurdled Lance’s body behind him and took the hit straight to his chest. In front of him- the scene was so clear in his mind still - Lotor’s body jolted. 

Then within the next ten seconds, Lance was crying, screaming Keith’s name, and everything was hazy and roaring in his ears as he noticed a small splotch of red blooming from Lotor’s suit, where his bullet hit him. The way his black eyes bored into Keith’s, going from pure shocking darkness to a dull realization as he fell to the ground, dead. 

And then Keith, shakily planting his hand to his own chest- God, his body would not stop shaking- feeling Lance’s warmth seep into him with life as he felt for the bullet-proof vest beneath his shirt. 

Call it a miracle or tactical planning on Keith’s end. But they both survived. 

However, with Lotor dead now. 

Completely dressed to not impress but rather cuff and do his job properly unlike a certain someone not dressed himself. Keith couldn’t stay mad at Lance. Instead of another lecture, he slid into the bed, cradling the boy in his arms, nuzzling his nose against the sheltered warmth of his long, slender neck. He pressed a wet kiss to it. 

Lance hummed in delight, kissing the back of Keith’s hand, which only caused him to hold him even tighter. 

“Babe.. you’re squishing me, might wanna let go.” 

“Nope. I’m never letting you go. You’re mine now, forever.” Keith felt his heart soar. He didn’t know who to thank in this moment. Luck? Coincidence? Fate? Anywho, whatever led theirs paths to cross, he knew he chose the right one. 

Which kept him right here, with Lance. 

“Ready to officially meet my brother?” 

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Lance answered sarcastically, “This is gonna be worse than Lotor…” he chuckled darkly and as if he were in mock pain craning his neck and covering Keith’s mouth with his own. 

If this went on further, he’d have to start stripping. “Just proves how scary you are, boss-boy,” Keith teased when they parted, pinching his husband’s nose. 

A new groan released from Lance, “But he hates me… I don’t see why I have to meet them.” 

“You’re my husband, Lance. You’re family. Shiro... he gets it. Well, he doesn’t have a choice.” Keith quirked a brow Lance’s way, “Oh, and don’t call him grandpa, that’ll make him hate you more.” 

“Then I’ll do just that!” Lance said with glee as he tumbled out of the bed, changing into his expensive shirt and slacks. 

When they both stood by the door to leave, their gazes locked on to each other. “You know they’ll be after us now. Lotor’s men,” Keith said. 

Lance nodded sternly, “Just makes our lives that much more exciting.” He winked and looped a finger around one of Keith’s belt-loops, pulling him close sucking in a long, desiring kiss. “Besides, we make a good team,” Lance whispered wildy in his ear. Ripples of excitement zapped all over Keith’s skin. 

A low moan broke out unwillingly- he needed to get to work. But Lance was just being too fucking sexy at the moment- being ridiculously unfair with him. “You’re right. We _are_ a good team,” Keith said with a lopsided smile, feeling intoxicated by the sheer provocativeness of his husband, and kissed him again, deepening it with a lot of tongue play as he pushed him back towards their bed. 

“I love you, Lance McClain Kogane.” 

Lance was already undressed falling into their bed as he said back, “I love you, too, Keith Kogane McClain.” 

And so they made love with the thought that no matter what came next, they’d be there for each other. 

Side by side. 

The Lance and Keith. 

Neck and neck. 

Forever and always. 

Death can reap a soul, but never a heart. 


End file.
